Water Monitoring

When it comes to climate change, almost all the attention is on the air. What is happening to the water, however, is just as worrying — although, for the moment, it may be slightly more manageable.

Here is the problem in a seashell: As the oceans absorb about a quarter of the carbon dioxide released by fossil-fuel burning, the pH level in the underwater world is falling, creating the marine version of climate change. Ocean acidification is rising at its fastest pace in 300 million years, scientists say.

A new technology will make testing water quality at Michigan beaches faster. And that means safer swimming.

County water departments  are required to test  public beach water for E. coli contamination. But the testing process has been pretty slow – it can take around 24 hours for results to come in. That means that a health department may not close a beach a full day after it discovers water was unsafe for swimmers.